The aim of this study was to investigate how cooperation can be facilitated in the real-world social dilemma of choosing to commute by automobile rather than by public transport. A survey of 335 drivers was carried out before and during an 8-day temporary freeway closure in Osaka, Japan. The results showed that the frequency of switching to public transport during the closure was inversely related to the frequency of automobile commuting before the closure. Furthermore, drivers who more frequently commuted by automobile overestimated commuting time by public transport to a larger extent than did drivers who commuted less frequently by automobile. At the same time, the larger the overestimation the more likely were drivers to change their perception of commute time. It is suggested that a temporary structural change, such as a freeway closure, may be an important catalyst that triggers cooperation in a social dilemma.
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